Friendship: An Intricate Web of Lies
by BlackWolfOfTheTurks
Summary: Kai Hiwatari has no one left in his life, save for a new friend he has made. Friendship is supposed to bring joy to one's heart, but will this beautiful experience remain or be caused to twist into a tragedy?   Rated M for safety
1. Kai Hiwatari

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

Hey guys/girls! So, a big thanks to everyone who reviews my stories! Greatly appreciate your interest! This is going to be a story on Kai in his point of view. Hope you enjoy it!

I open my eyes, slowly, weak from the sleep which weighs them down. Catching sight of the sky outside my bedroom window, I realise that it's dawn. The sky is bathed in a magnificent orange hue with faint wisps of pink clouds sailing through it. I'm still tired, and a look at my old clock on the bedside cupboard beside me tells me that it's still 5:30 in the morning.

I sleep very little these days, rather restlessly in fact. My nightmares keep me awake. They just won't leave me alone. Each time I wake up they remain, hanging in my mind like unwanted company, always there to pester me and remind me that they'll be back. Maybe you're wondering what nightmares these are. Perhaps now is not the time to go through them, I'm too tired to explain something as miserable as those right now.

My name is Kai Hiwatari, and I'm 16 years old. I live alone in my enormous mansion, an empty carcass with no one but me beneath it's roof. My parents are both abroad in foreign lands, in case you're wondering. My father was the heir to our business: 'Hiwatari Industries', but he was never interested in business, never cut out for it. My grandfather Voltaire, and my dad's father, banished him, and my dad left us for good. Mum tried to stop him, but it was no use. I barely remember him, I was 4 when he left. My mum was devastated, and instead of staying here to take care of me, her only son, she left like a coward, her tail between her legs, and scurried off in search of a new life.

And that's how I had ended up in my grandfather's 'care'...or curse. But going into that would be going into my nightmares, and like I said, I don't feel like talking about them right now.

I gently close my eyes and try to sleep again, but sleep won't be coming back today. It's gone for good now, so instead I gingerly sit up in my soft bed and push away the covers to get out. I make my way over to the chair at my desk, my barefoot feet padding on the cold floor, over to where my clothes lay folded. I'm the kind of person who likes to keep my stuff neat, it comes naturally when you're forced to live on your own. I start to put on my clothes: a purple sleeveless shirt and a pair of baggy pants in an identical colour, a black jacket with short sleeves and large, square, golden buckles, a red belt with a silver buckle and my black sneakers.

I'm ready now, and I stand in my bathroom, giving myself the final touch. I have a habit of wearing blue face paint in the shape of a shark fin, two on each cheek. They give me a sense of identity, they make me feel more like Kai.

Sometimes I just don't know who I am or who I'm supposed to be. What is my purpose in life? Is there something special that I must do? Is there something that is expected of me? I just don't know, and I feel so lost...so helpless. It's frustrating, not having the answers to these questions, these questions that tease at my brain all day. I often see other people, smiling and enjoying the company of another. But me? I have no one, no one at all.

Except a friend of mine, a good friend of mine.


	2. Brooklyn Masefield

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

His name is Brooklyn. Brooklyn Masefield. Funny how I met him, really. I was practicing my Beyblading techniques and...wait, let me explain what Beyblading is exactly. First of all, it's a sport where you battle with another person using a beyblade. A beyblade is a spinning top, built for the sole purpose of attacking another beyblade in a match. The first beyblade that stops spinning loses, and the other wins. Beyblades are also able to contain sacred spirits known as bit-beasts. I have a bit-beast of my own, her name is Dranzer, and she's a fiery red phoenix with the most magnificent plumage you've ever seen. Bit-beasts greatly increase the power in your beyblade, and lets face it, I'm an expert beyblader.

So, as I was saying, I was practicing my Beyblading techniques out in the streets, and suddenly this guy came and challenged me. I accepted, and our battle ended in a draw. I was amazed and asked about his beyblade, and he admitted that he had a bit-beast of his own, and a pretty good one at that. Its name appears to be Zeus, and I was impressed by the power it showed. This is something since it takes a lot to impress me.

From then on, we became friends, awesome friends. I've never really had a friend before, so this friendship means a lot to me. I'm glad he challenged me to a battle that day, because otherwise I wouldn't have met him. Huh, funny when you think that it was beyblading that brought us together!

His hair is a bright fiery orange that reminds me of Dranzer's fire. His eyes are a delicate blue, the colour of the oceans, and likes to wear dazzling white clothes. He's very quiet, but a mysterious quiet, the kind that implies that there's more to him than meets the eye. A profound personality, I'm sure. He's an interesting guy, and really nice. But the most distinct feature about him is that he's obsessed with nature. Whenever I see him, he's either lying down in some lush garden amidst the jade grass or somewhere playing with butterflies and ladybirds or fingering flowers. He seems so innocent some times, yet I know he's not, I'm sure in fact.

I've just finished my breakfast and I'm heading out of the house. I'm going to meet up with him, and maybe we'll beybattle. Yeah, I'd like that.


	3. A Sunny Friendship

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

I leave my house and start making my way along the iron grey streets, warm from the morning sun. My shadow follows me, it must be eager for Brooklyn's company too. When I'm alone, I have no company, not even my ever silent shadow. Just my dog, Snow, a huge husky. He's always there to ease my emotional pain a bit. He lifts my spirits. To me, he has become the soul of my empty house. He cost me a fortune too, but I barely felt it, I've got money to burn.

Some people are starting to emerge from the confines of their houses, some stepping into their car to go to work, others just doing their daily shopping. The sun is getting really hot now, and my black jacket absorbs its heat. But I ignore it and walk on, stuffing my gloved hands into my trouser pockets.

When I arrived at the garden at the centre of the town, I saw him there. He was lying on the grass, his eyes closed, his arms crossed beneath his orange head to serve as a pillow. When he heard me approaching, he opened his eyes and turned to look at me, with slow, curious motion. His blue irises gazed up at me, and he smiled.

"Ahhh, look who's here," he said in his calm throaty voice.

"Hey," I said, dropping down beside him, the soft grass cushioning my aching legs: "How are you?"

"Not bad, one with nature as always my friend," he answered coolly, raising a delicate finger towards a descending butterfly.

"I had no doubt," I said, watching as the sunny yellow creature perched its long thin legs on Brooklyn's arched index finger. It stopped fluttering its wings and stared back at Brooklyn, as though wondering who or what he was.

"You're up early," he noticed. He didn't know a thing about my nightmares, about my past...I had never told him.

"Yeah. I couldn't sleep too well," I answered, staring at my lap.

"Huh, I see," he said, carefully rotating his finger to examine the butterfly's wings.

"So Kai," he said suddenly: "Do you have a girlfriend?"

I flinched, this was a question I found tricky to answer.

"Well," I chewed my words carefully: "I'm not really cut out for relationships."

Brooklyn laughed, his sweet laugh which sounded like the merry jingle of bells: "I can see that. You're the reserved type aren't you?"

"Good eye," I said.

"You're rather interesting. I must admit. Some say that I'm mysterious. Do you agree with this?" he turned to look at me.

"Totally," I admitted: "You're hard to figure out."

"We're on the same wavelength then," he said, lowering his hand to the ground as the butterfly flew off, continuing on its journey to nowhere. Like me.

"Say, Kai, d'you wanna, battle?" he asked casually.

"Yeah, let's go," I said eagerly, fishing out my bright blue beyblade, the exact colour as my face paint. Together, we spent the morning practicing, yelling out commands at our spinning warriors, the black and blue blurs swirling beneath us, following our orders and striving to win.

But in my life, I was the beyblade, and my past was the dark opponent.

Would I emerge victorious?


	4. Eternal Stains

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

The morning developed into the afternoon, which finally broke into dusk. I am making my way back home right now, because I'm starting to feel tired. But I feel fulfilled, happy, content that I have spent my day practicing my favourite sport with my bestfriend. The simple company of another human can work wonders on life's worst victim. And that victim is me. Don't think I'm exaggerating, please, it's true. What I've been through is a hideous stain on my life, on me. I used to be such a cheerful child, everyone used to love me, because I was so bright. But my grandfather ruined me. He utterly destroyed me, crushed every single ounce of joy beneath his feet. He ground my sunny personality into dust and changed it to ever fighting thunder in the abyss of the night sky. I became cold, reserved, sarcastic and sometimes even mean. My past made me bitter.

Perhaps now is the time to explain what I've been through. Very well, but don't say that I didn't warn you.

My grandfather was obsessed with Beyblading, he craves perfection, but even more so, he craves power. His lust for power drives him to force children as young as 5 to train hard from morning to night, without a chance to breath. If we didn't do what he ordered, there was hell to pay. We were punished severely when we failed, and we received no sympathy. Training was more like torture, and our punishment was more like what took place in the dark depths of hell itself. If I take off my clothes, you would be able to witness the evidence, the proof of what I'm telling. My entire body is covered in scars, deep and rugged, unwanted decorations that snake along my body, etching themselves into my flesh for eternity. And each time I catch sight of them, I see my grandfather's beastly face before my eyes, my violet eyes like a couple of bruises settling into my skin to add to my undying pain. Some parts of my chest and thighs are still stained with a mixture of blue and purple from the bruises which fell on top of each other as he hammered his fists onto my vulnerable body. I was so young...and yet...he was so merciless. How he hurt me, all those years, how he abused me, in every possible way.

Every night he returns, he approaches me, and his shadow takes not his form, but that of the devil, leering at the tiny boy who can never escape.


	5. Questions

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

The air was getting chilly as the sun hid beneath the depths of the world. Now that the red sphere was gone, the moon began to emerge slowly. I compared myself to that moon, emerging only when the fiery threat was gone, and returning to my hideout when it returned. The sun was like my grandfather, searching continuously for me to scorch me, to burn my skin.

Soon, my mansion rolled into view, it's brick walls now dark from the lack of light. I walked up the black cobbled path leading to it, and set my palm on the door knob, letting myself in. As soon as the door shut behind me, my dog came bounding towards me, its pristine white fur catching the light reflected by the window panes, and its oceanic orbs that were its eyes poring deep into my violet ones. I kneeled before him, placing my hand on his head and stroking his soft blanket of fur appreciatively. He licked my face lovingly, his way of kissing.

Standing up, I walked over to my sitting room and slumped down on the rose-coloured couch. Snow followed me and jumped up onto the seat beside me, curling up like a furry cushion and getting ready for a nap. I watched him silently for a minute, watching his back gently rising and falling with each breath that he took. He was beautiful, and he was my only company in this solitary house of mine. He also makes me feel secure, because living on your own in such an evidently rich place can be quite dangerous. Sometimes I fear that Voltaire will come back for me, because I know that he's still out there somewhere, biding his time, waiting for the right moment to strike. I know he hasn't forgotten about me, I know that he wants to punish me. I never managed to figure out why he's fuelled by so much hatred, really. But who can know the mind of a ruthless beast?

I found myself thinking about my parents, wondering what they were doing right now. Where was my father? Where was my mother? Did they ever think about me, their only son? Or perhaps, I was not their only son anymore. Perhaps they had remarried, formed new families and had other children. Perhaps I have brothers and sisters that I don't know about. Who knew?

I took Dranzer out of my pocket and twirled it around in my hand. I could see the impact marks that Brooklyn's beyblade had done during our battle. They were a sign that my beyblade required some fixing, but to me, they were a sign that I had a friend to battle with. They reminded me of him, and that meant that I was not lonely, that I did have somebody.

I had never asked him about his family. Was he lonely like me, or did he have a loving family to return to? He had never mentioned any parents, any siblings, or any friends even. No one. He was certainly a mysterious character.


	6. Voltaire's Plans

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

Okay everyone, so, this chapter isn't going to be in Kai's point of view. It will be in a third person narrative. Enjoy!

"Master Voltaire, please, calm down and listen to me," the man pleaded, kneeling before the large man who sat in the straight-backed chair before him. The room was encased in darkness, and to continue adding to it, both men wore pitch black clothing.

"I will not listen!" Voltaire was beginning to raise his voice, anger getting the better of him. He was quick to become enraged, and although he had grown old, age certainly hadn't weakened him. He was blessed with the gift of strength which he didn't deserve, and stood tall and proud wherever he was. His grey hair fell down to his shoulders, and few lines marred his face. Now he was clutching a bottle of alcohol with his right hand, his grip so tight that his servant feared that it would break any second.

"Master Voltaire, forget about Kai. You don't need him, you're much stronger without him!" the man who knelt before him said, hoping that Voltaire would take heed of his words.

"Kai has betrayed us, and I have never succeeded in delivering the punishment that was due to him! No one betrays the great Lord Voltaire and gets away with it!" he raged, slapping the bottle's neck to his lips and gulping down the fiery liquid in an effort to calm his nerves. Whenever he thought of his foolish grandson, a monstrous hatred pulsed through his veins, corroding them like poison. He loathed him, but at least he had his son and daughter-in-law locked away within his clutches. But soon, he would have his grandson too, he'd be damned if he didn't! Then he'd have the entire Hiwatari family at his mercy, and he would finally be able to carry out his revenge.

"Susuki! Bring me another one! Now!" he barked at the young girl who stood silently in the corner.

"Yes sir!" the girl immediately answered, rushing forwards to take his empty alcohol bottle. As she hurried out of the room, Voltaire began to ponder over Kai, wondering how he could get his claws on him without being noticed by the police force.

"He's not easy to capture, he would never allow anyone whom he doesn't trust near him," he thought out loud, staring at his laps.

"If I may, Master," his servant said: "Perhaps you could send out spies to check him out, and then your path will be clearer."

"Yes, that is a good idea. I will need to select my best ones, and that will cost me a fortune. Not that my dear son would mind if I 'borrow' his cash," said Voltaire slyly, laughing harshly beneath his breath.

Susuki hurried back inside the room and handed a new bottle to Voltaire.

"What took you so long?" he said, his voice laced with annoyance.

"I'm sorry Master, I just couldn't find a new one, that's all," she answered apologetically, watching him gulp down the liquid fiercely.

"Leave. You too Aoi," said Voltaire, addressing the man who was still kneeling before him.

"Yes, Master Voltaire," he answered, heaving himself to a standing position and leaving the room with Susuki.


	7. Lonely Cousins

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

"I don't know if I can take this anymore," Susuki whispered as she made her way down the corridor with Aoi.

"I know, I know that it's hard. But remember, this is for the sake of our very lives...we have no choice," said Aoi.

Susuki was fifteen years old, the youngest of Voltaire's 'slaves', because that's how they were treated. She had blazing red hair which fell down to her waist, and piercing blue eyes. She inwardly hated Voltaire, and hated the fact that she had no control over her own life. He had taken it away, and reduced her to being his lowly servant, fit only to do his bidding. She and Aoi were cousins, and both were orphans who had been raised together. For this reason, the bond between them had grown, and they were now like brother and sister. Voltaire's men had found them in the streets and brought them to Voltaire himself, who had claimed them as his servants. They were like tools, mistreated by everyone with ties to Voltaire, and thoroughly disrespected. Aoi was 26, and didn't resemble Susuki at all. He had short, spiky brown hair and light green eyes, which shone with a certain despair as Susuki's did.

"I'm scared of him, I must admit. He's just dying to beat the crap out of me, I know it!" said Susuki.

"He won't, he has no reason to. Don't fear him Suki, he won't hurt us if we give him no reason to," said Aoi, placing his hand on his cousin's shoulder.

"I'm tired Aoi. I think I'll return to my quarters and call it a day, before mister badass calls me again," said Susuki.

"Hmph, I'll go too then. Come, we'll go together," said Aoi.

The pair made their way through the maze of dark, stone corridors, lit only by glazed lamps which hung from the musty roof. As they walked, Susuki realised how alone she was in this worthless life of hers, and how long it had been before she had seen the glorious outside world, which normal people got to enjoy everyday. She wished so much that she could have a family, and live in a loving home and have personal belongings to enjoy. How she wished that she could have the opportunity to make friends, and maybe even have a boyfriend...

"Susuki, you okay?" asked Aoi.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," she lied.

I must get out of here, I must! She thought: But...how?


	8. Spied on

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

Kai P.O.V.

I slept in late today, I had no reason to wake up early. Brooklyn said that he had some stuff to take care of, so it looks like I'm gonna be alone for today. Pity, I really enjoy his company.

I decided that I would go for a walk and take Snow with me. He doesn't need a leash, he's very intelligent, and he knows that he has to stay with me. He wouldn't abandon me for the world, that's what real friends do.

I found him sleeping on the couch in the sitting room. He loves that couch too much. As I stroked his soft head, he stirred and slowly opened his sapphire eyes, that gazed back into mine. He pressed his white muzzle into my open palm and began to lick it gently, nuzzling against me. As I stood back, he bounded off the couch and towards the front door in the hallway, waiting for us to go out. So I grabbed my black jacket off the glass coffee table, donned it and opened the door, feeling the heat of the morning sun wash over me.

We began to walk towards the nearby gardens, which were packed with trees coated in emerald leaves. Several glassy ponds were spread throughout it's leafy grounds, shining like crystal mirrors, the ripples on their surfaces catching the light from the sun and reflecting it in delicate rainbows. It was a beautiful place to be, and Brooklyn's favourite habitat. He often told me that when I want to search for him, that is the first place I should look in.

While I was making my way there however, I felt this eerie presence following me about. It was weird, and I couldn't shake it off no matter how hard I tried. At random moments, I thought I caught someone staring at me, but when I looked back, no one was there. Snow seemed to feel it too because he suddenly started whining beneath his breath. I just don't understand, was the light playing tricks on us? Or, was there really something out there, watching our every move?

(3rd person narrative)

"Damn, I think he knows we're here," said one of the men within the crowd.

"Who cares? At least we know something about him now," said the female beside him.

"Isobel, we have to be careful! Lord Voltaire strictly made it clear to us that we musn't be seen!" said the man.

"Yeah yeah, you know something Tenzou? You whine too much," said Isobel.

Tenzou growled something beneath his breath and turned back to watch Kai making his way into the gardens with his dog.

"Man...that dog would make a gorgeous boa," Isobel remarked huskily, running her clawed hand over her neck.

"Would you stick to business?" Tenzou snapped in annoyance.

"Say, Tenzou, it doesn't really look like anything interesting'll be happening any time soon. Why don't we come back later, hmm?" said Isobel, glancing hopefully at her annoyed partner.

"No, Isobel," he said with a menacing growl, his anger starting to get the better of him.

"Fine, but I'm bored," Isobel moaned, stifling a yawn with her hand.

"Well get over it then," said Tenzou: "Come on, let's follow Kai inside the gardens and watch him from there."

"Ugh, fiiiine," drawled Isobel, and with that she turned and reluctantly began to follow her partner into the gardens, checking her painted nails as she went.

Tenzou was a man of 31, with dark brown hair and matching eyes, and he was always wearing his dark tinted sunglasses. His spy partner, Isobel, was 29, and she was a cruel woman with the sin of pride. Her hair was dyed in wide stripes of blazing red and brownish black, and it was cut in a straight bob. Her eyes were an icy green colour, and her face was always caked with make-up. Her hands sported claw-like fingernails, long and painted a bright red, like the colour of her hair. She and Tenzou had been hired as Voltaire's spies, and if they succeeded, he had promised that he would keep them as his spies. Tenzou was crazy about this idea and had become desperate to succeed, but Isobel only slightly cared, and went along just to have something to do.


	9. News

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

Kai P.O.V.

I stayed in the garden for most of the day, pacing around or lounging on the wooden benches with Snow beside me. At one point in the afternoon, I went to buy a piece of coconut cake from the kiosk close by. After that, I stayed there until 7:00 in the evening.

And that's when I saw my bestfriend approaching.

When I saw his tall lean figure and the mess of orange hair, I had to look twice. When I confirmed that it was him, I called out his name and waved at him. I felt really happy all of a sudden, because he had turned up after all!

"Yo Kai, what's up?" he said, sitting beside me on the bench.

"Nothing much, I've been here all day. I was pretty lonely," I said.

"That your dog?" he said, pointing at Snow who was sniffing curiously at him.

"Yeah, his name's Snow," I said, watching as he reached down to stroke his fur.

"Man, he's beautiful Kai," said Brooklyn, gazing at Snow with awe.

"Thanks. He's my only companion," I blurted out before realising it.

"Your only companion?" Brooklyn asked confusedly: "What about your family?"

"Uh, well I uh...haven't got any family," I finally decided to confide in him. Perhaps I would feel better if I did.

"Really? Oh man, I'm sorry," he said timidly, concern flooding his gentle eyes.

"Don't worry about it," I said, running my hand nervously through my iron-grey hair.

(3rd person narrative)

"Well well, would you look at that! Looks like Kai's not so lonely after all!" Tenzou mused, watching the two friends who were deep in conversation: "This is going to be a massive piece of information for Lord Voltaire!"

"Yeah, this Brooklyn character looks interesting. Perhaps Voltaire will think up something for him," said Isobel, watching the red head.

"Hey! He's Lord Voltaire not just Voltaire! If you wanna stay in his good books then get some manners!" Tenzou snapped immediately.

"Don't start," Isobel waved him off and resumed her nail-checking: "Oh hell no!"

"Huh? What is it?" Tenzou jumped and turned to face her.

"I broke a nail! Look!" Isobel panicked, holding her hand in front of Tenzou's enraged face.

"Damn it! That's it? I thought something bad had happened you idiot! You totally startled me!" He snapped angrily.

"But this is bad!" Isobel protested, caressing her finger as if broken.

Tenzou sighed out his frustration and turned back to his victims. Sometimes, he really got fed up with Isobel.


	10. The Plot

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

Isobel and Tenzou headed back to Voltaire's headquarters, eager to report their newfound information. They were currently walking along the corridors, which were very dimly lit, and rather stony.

"Such lack of decor! They should start spending their money on interior decorators instead of spies and criminals," Isobel said scornfully.

"Ah be quiet," said Tenzou: "All that matters is that Lord Voltaire will be pleased enough with our information to appoint us as his personal spies."

"Hm, yeah," said Isobel, without taking her eyes off the ugly walls surrounding her.

As they turned the corner however, Isobel bumped into a young girl, and the sudden impact caused her to bounce back in shock. She glared venomously at the shocked creature, whose fiery red hair would have amazed her, had she not been so furious.

"Watch where you're going you ignorant little witch!" Isobel screeched, backhanding the girl across her face. The smack echoed off the walls, and the girl staggered backwards, her hand flying up to the raw red cheek that Isobel had struck.

"I-I'm s-sorry!" the girl quivered in fright, staring up at the cruel woman before her. Whimpering in terror, she stepped to the side and took off down the corridor, running away from them.

"That may have been rather harsh," Tenzou said calmly.

"Shut up! If I had broken another nail because of that freak I would have chased off after her and beaten her to a pulp!" Isobel raged, her own face even redder than the blusher spread furiously on her cheeks.

"Geez, whatever. Let's get going, we've no time to waste," said Tenzou, and together, the pair of them continued on their way to Voltaire's office.

Finally, they arrived, and the male guards who flanked the doorway stepped aside to allow them in. As they entered, Voltaire stood up and approached them, his long black trench coat swishing with each step.

"Lord Voltaire, we bring excellent news!" Tenzou said, his voice brimming with sheer pleasure (Isobel secretly rolled her eyes).

"What have you found out?" Voltaire asked, waiting to hear about his grandson.

"Well sir, it seems that Kai is living alone in his mansion, and is engaged in no business. It seems however, that he has managed to find a best friend," he reported excitedly, trying to sound as business-like as he could.

"A friend huh? Interesting, we could use that to our advantage," said Voltaire.

"But sir, if I may, this friend of his didn't seem very cut out for, y'know, 'our kind of stuff'," said Isobel, staring at him through sharply narrowed eyes, heavy with mascara and darkly rimmed with eyeliner.

"Oh I didn't mean that we will employ him with us, no no. What I did mean is that we will use him against our dear young Kai," said Voltaire.

"Ah, I see," said Isobel, becoming interested.

"Kai has nobody but me in this world, and I know that he despises me as much I despise him. If he has managed to make a friend out of someone, then he must be very happy. Why don't we use this friend of his to get to Kai, by betrayal?" said Voltaire.

"That's a very cool idea sir!" said Tenzou, as Isobel elbowed him sharply in the back.

'Cool idea', seriously, what a loser, She thought, then said: "So, what you're saying is that we find this 'Brooklyn', as he is called, and make him join forces with you against Kai? But how will that allow you to capture him?"

Voltaire grinned and chuckled evilly: "Leave it to me."


	11. Knowledge of the Future

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

Brooklyn was lying in the soft cold grass of his favourite garden, enjoying the feel of the chilly evening breeze refreshing his face. He had just had a beybattle with Kai, and had actually lost. That had irked him a bit, he had to admit it, but at least he had some fun with his friend.

That Kai Hiwatari, never ceases to amaze me, he thought as he stared up at the stars that dotted the heavens, some shimmering brightly, contrasting against the black sky behind them, others barely visible to the naked eye.

Suddenly though, he heard footsteps crunching on the grass beside him and felt the presence of a person close by. He turned and caught sight of a man and a woman, staring fixedly at him. There was something about their posture, perhaps in the tall imposing way that they stood, which implied that they were looking for trouble.

"Uh, may I help you?" said Brooklyn uneasily, retrieving his arms from beneath his head.

"You are Brooklyn, friend of Kai Hiwatari, is that right?" said the woman in a commanding voice that was chillier than the night itself.

"Yeah, why?" Brooklyn asked in an innocent voice, although the tension created by these two was starting to get to him.

"We have been ordered by Lord Voltaire, Kai's grandfather, to summon you to him. Either come quietly or be taken by force," she said spitefully.

"Kai's...grandfather?" Brooklyn was surprised, hadn't Kai said that he had no family? And what was with the 'Lord' title? Who the heck was this guy?

"But, what do I have to do with all this?" he asked.

"Since you appear to be the only person who knows Kai, Lord Voltaire has chosen you to give us some intel on our target. You are to come with us, now I'm afraid," said the man, who seemed a lot more composed than the woman, whom he already disliked.

"Fine, I'll come," Brooklyn agreed after a moment's thought: "I guess I've got nothing important to do."

"Good, then let's go," said the man, and the three of them left together up the road, where a red car awaited. The man opened the back door for Brooklyn to enter, and he and his companion slipped into the front seats. The woman pushed her car keys inside the lock and turned, spurring the engine to life. As they drove away, Brooklyn wondered curiously what he had gotten himself into.

(Kai P.O.V.)

I stood in the shower, dousing myself with warm water, relishing the gentle touch of the sweet liquid as it caressed my skin, like the loving hands of a mother, the mother I barely knew...

Damn it, why do I have to think about her, even now? Do I really miss her, that much? And my dad, he is the reason she left! Yet the main reason that he left in the first place was my grandfather, my accursed grandfather.

That bastard! This is all his fault! If only he had never existed! But then, my dad wouldn't have existed, and therefore, I wouldn't have existed...

Then, I wish he were different, a loving grandfather as all grandfathers should be. Not evil, sly and cunning as a fox ready to devour it's fragile prey! But oh well, this was to be my fate, and no one can erase it now. I must endure what I was thrown into, involuntarily, and survive. I must survive.

At all costs.

I suddenly became aware that the water had turned hotter and was burning my skin, as though absorbing my rage. Quickly, I slapped down the tap, closing off the water supply. I grabbed the cream-coloured towel off the rail and wrapped it around me, shivering as the rough, fuzzy texture brushed against my skin. As I was drying myself, I looked down at my thighs and my belly, and grimaced at the hideous bluish stains on them, of old bruises that had been too deep for my skin to recover from. My matching eyes caught sight of rough scars etched on my sodden skin, a parting gift from my dear grandfather. My entire body had been carved into a souvenir from him, it had become the bearing of his creations: the pain he inflicted on me.

As I moved towards the mirror and stared back at my face, I knew. I knew he was out there, somewhere, just waiting to get his hands on me, to take me prisoner in his clutches once more.

And I knew that no matter how loud my insides screamed, the world and beyond wouldn't hear.


	12. Promise of Betrayal

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

(3rd person narrative)

Brooklyn stepped out of the car and stood up, flexing his muscles: the drive had been long. Now that they had finally arrived, he glanced around him, taking in his surroundings. A tall black building, dark and dotted with windows, which were illuminated by greenish lights.

"Creep place," he remarked loudly.

"Huh, looks like we agree on that one," said the woman. She and her partner began moving towards it, and Brooklyn quickly hurried over to them, afraid that he might get lost. After all, he didn't even have the slightest idea where he had been brought!

Three guards flanked the front door, which was made of thick metal. One of them, a tall gruff man, nodded at them and opened the door. The trio entered and began walking through the corridors, the impact of the woman's heels on the stone floor echoing off the walls. Finally, they arrived before a room, which also had a couple of guards beside it. One of them opened the door, and Brooklyn followed the pair inside, to see an office-like room. It was rather spacious, with wine-coloured carpeting and dark grey wallpaper. A black couch lined one of the walls, beside which was a large glassy window, whose pane shone in a crystalline way. Opposite the door was a wooden desk which had been painted black to match the sofa, and several ornaments were cluttered around it, amongst which an old white computer and its keyboard sat. A man with long shoulder-length silver hair and a coarse face set in a grimace sat behind it.

"Isobel, Tenzou, you have returned," he said in a deep voice, obviously greeting the man and woman.

"Yes master, and we've brought your request as well," said Isobel, gesturing at Brooklyn.

"Good, now then. Brooklyn, isn't it? I have been told that you are an acquaintance of my grandson, Kai Hiwatari, am I right?" said Voltaire.

"Uh, yeah sir. We're good friends actually," said Brooklyn, stepping forward.

"Hmhm, so tell me Brooklyn, are you also a beyblader?" Voltaire asked, grinning in a strange way.

"Yes. I also have a bit-beast. His name is Zeus," Brooklyn replied, fishing out his beyblade from his pocket and holding it out on the palm of his hand.

"May I?" said Voltaire, and at Brooklyn's nod, he took the black beyblade from his hand and surveyed it closely, his cold black eyes running over the attack ring, studying every pointed edge. His malicious eyes suddenly focused on the central bit, within which was etched a winged beast, dark and evil looking.

"This appears to be highly powerful, certainly much more than Kai's pathetic Dranzer," he commented.

"I-I see," said Brooklyn, flinching at the man's obvious loathing for his grandson.

"Tell me, wouldn't you like to exceed Kai's power? Wouldn't you like to go distance and make Kai look like a fool with a mere toy?" said Voltaire, still holding on to Zeus.

"Uh, well I," Brooklyn was confused. Just what was he supposed to do here?

"Power, Brooklyn. You are perfect for it. In my mind I can already see you as the victorious champion, ruling over the world of Beyblading. I should inform you that this was Kai's dream as well. Will you allow him to throw you in the dark?" said Voltaire.

"Why me? Why do you want to grant me power? Your goal is Kai, isn't it?" said Brooklyn, wondering how this was going to play out.

"Kai is a loser, just like his parents. They are all fools with no capabilities. You, on the other hand, are a born prodigy. You smack of talent, take my advice and do not throw it down the drain. Prove to me that you are worthy and I will grant you all the power you desire. You will become unstoppable," said Voltaire.

Brooklyn lowered his eyes. Power. He had the chance to be powerful, above every blader on the planet.

Above Kai himself.

"What must I do to prove myself?" he said, a new look taking over his eyes. He was determined, Voltaire could see that. This boy wanted power, he definitely did.

"Kidnap Kai, and bring him to me," said Voltaire, studying Brooklyn's surprised look with evident satisfaction.

"W-what? K-kidnap Kai?" Brooklyn stammered.

"That's right! Bring him to me. He trusts you, it shouldn't be too difficult. If he tries to break away, bring him by force. Or I will keep the power for myself," said Voltaire.

"N-no! I'll do it. I'll bring him to you! But you must keep your promise. I give you Kai, you give me power, or the deal's off," said Brooklyn.

Voltaire chuckled, this boy was not all that he seemed.

"I like your style boy. A deal is a deal. I never go back on my word. You have a limit of three days. If you fail to kidnap Kai in those three days, then our deal is off. Is that understood?" Voltaire raised the black beyblade, whose bit gleamed in the lamp light.

"I'll do it. Never fear, he will not escape," said Brooklyn. A contented smile appeared on his face, and his orange bangs cast a dark shade on his eyes, concealing the hungry look that consumed them.

Power...I will have power! He thought.


	13. The Unlucky Evening

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

(Kai P.O.V.)

Another evening arrived, and this time, it appeared that I wouldn't be lonely. Brooklyn phoned me earlier this afternoon, asking me to meet up with him tonight. Naturally, I agreed, and now I'm getting ready to leave the house. The place is silent, with Snow sleeping soundly on my couch, and me keeping quiet so as not to wake him. I head for the doorway and put on my jacket, since the night air is getting colder every day. As I step out, the icy evening breeze cuts at my painted cheeks, sawing onto my skin. I hug myself to keep warm and start making my way up the street, watching the shimmering stars as I walk. They were particularly beautiful tonight, like gems thrown haphazardly on a black velvet rug, as though for decoration in some dark palace. My imagination is wild, I know, but oh well. I guess being lonely can make your thoughts creative.

Suddenly, I spot Brooklyn, his mane of orange hair hard to miss. He was leaning against a lamppost, his hands in the pockets of his delicate white trousers, his matching coat flowing around him in the slight wind.

"Hey," I greeted him, and to my surprise, he didn't seem to pleased to see me. It looked as though something heavy weighed on his mind, because there was a certain worry flooding his blue eyes.

"Let's take a walk," he said, his voice drained of emotion.

As we began strolling up the road, I turned to him and said: "Hey, is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong Kai," he said blankly, not meeting my eyes.

I felt uncomfortable, for the very first time that I was around him. His behaviour was far from normal, and I had to admit that it was worrying and confusing me. This wasn't like him at all. Had something happened to him? Or maybe he felt ill?

We moved into dark street, whose only street lamp had been broken, plunging us into sudden darkness. I turned to tell him that we should take another route, but before I could even open my mouth he grabbed the lapels of my jacket and slammed me violently against a wall.

"Brooklyn wha-mmmph?" I tried to protest, but was cut off when he clamped his hand against my mouth.

"Don't move, or you're dead," he said in a dangerous voice, in a tone I had never heard before.

I grabbed his hand and tried to yank it off my mouth to speak to him, but he punched me straight in the stomach, crushing his fist against me. I felt afraid, hurt, confused, unhappy, all at once. Why the hell was he acting this way? What had gotten into him?

"I said don't move!" he growled, throwing me on the hard ground and pinning my arms above my hand with his hands.

"What are you doing? Have you lost it?" I hissed, staring at him in utter shock.

"Oh I'm perfectly sane, Kai. Don't worry about me. Instead, shouldn't you be worrying about what's going to happen to you?" he said, an unusual evil grin tugging at his lips.

Suddenly, he raised his fist and slammed it hard against my temple, breaking a searing gash into my skin. As I felt the rock hard knuckles connecting with my bone, I felt a sharp searing pain and a wave of blackness overcame me, consuming me within it's depths.

Now he had me at his mercy.


	14. In the Face of Lust

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

The darkness began to ebb away and my consciousness started to slip back in. My head spun so much it made me feel nauseated, and my chest felt tight. Suddenly, a harsh pain throbbed in my temple where Brooklyn had hit me, and I let out a muffled gasp. I tried to reach up to touch it, but I realised that I couldn't move at all. As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw that I was in a small dark room, with stone walls surrounding me. I looked down and saw that I was sitting on a wooden chair, and ropes twisted around several parts of my body secured me tightly to it. A thick cloth was tied around my mouth, gagging me.

Suddenly, I heard a woman's voice:

"Finally awake huh? I was getting bored of waiting."

I turned my head to see a young woman with brightly coloured hair and clothes sitting on a chair at the other end of the room, smoking a cigarette. She stood up and began walking towards me, the sound of her high heels echoing on the floor. She stood in front of me and raised my chin to look at her, gazing into my weak eyes.

"My my, what a beautiful young man you are," she said with admiration: "You look nothing like your grandfather."

I froze when I heard that cursed word. Did this woman know my grandfather? Then, had Brooklyn taken me to him? Had he actually chosen to betray me in this horrifying way?

The woman noticed the look of sudden fear in my eyes and said: "Don't like him much, do you? Hm, well I wouldn't either if he had the plans he has in store for you."

She began to circle around me in a slow taunting way, running her clawed fingers through my hair, feeling it's texture, feeling my tension. When she arrived back in front of me, she gazed fondly at me and ran her fingers over my gagged mouth, feeling my lips beneath the fabric.

"You wouldn't mind if I played with you for a while, would you?" she whispered.

She leaned towards me and bit my ear, running her tongue over its skin, then began to lick my neck, tickling me as she did so.

I don't want to think what she could have went on to do if the door hadn't opened at that moment.

"Isobel! What the hell are you doing?" said the man in the doorway, glaring through his dark shades at the woman.

"That's none of your business, Tenzou! Now leave!" the woman, Isobel, snapped at him.

"Actually, it's you who's going to leave because Lord Voltaire demands to see him," said Tenzou, nodding towards me.

"Ugh, damn," she said, stepping away from me, and in a low voice told me: "This is your fault for being so damn sexy. I can't control myself before a tied-up guy."


	15. The Punishment of Betrayal

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

The man named Tenzou undid the ropes binding me to the chair but left the bindings on my hands behind my back. I was dragged through the corridors, barely taking in my surroundings. I was so scared that I thought I would faint. I had never imagined it would be so horrible. The last person I wanted to see was Voltaire, and yet here I was, being taken to him against my will.

Tenzou stopped suddenly near a polished door and opened it, pushing me inside. It was an office, and inside it were Brooklyn, leaning casually against a window, and my grandfather...

I groaned as I was thrown roughly onto floor, my knees colliding painfully with it. I raised my head to look at Brooklyn, wondering if he would budge.

Nothing.

He just stared at me, a traitorous smile on his calm face.

"Young Kai, you've certainly grown all these years," said Voltaire, approaching me with a slow pace. I twisted my wrists, trying to break them out of the rope, but it was too tight and ended up cutting into my raw skin.

"Your dear friend was kind enough to escort you here, isn't that right Brooklyn?" he said.

"Mhmm," Brooklyn nodded in agreement, smiling at me and increasing my frustration.

"Did you really think that I had forgotten your leave? Did you think I would let you go unpunished? Foolish little boy, you are in for a life of pain," said Voltaire, lines of hatred etched on his glaring face: "And don't worry, I have found an excellent replacement for you."

Brooklyn stepped forward, and from his pocket, withdrew my beyblade. He had stolen Dranzer!

"This piece of junk is of no use to anyone now, not in comparison to my Zeus," he said, and then, he did something that made me feel as though he had torn my very soul apart.

He dropped Dranzer onto the floor and crushed it beneath his foot.

The sound of breaking metal shattered through my ears, wrenching my heart in two. I stared disbelievingly at the several sapphire pieces lying lifelessly on the floor, the dead remains of my precious Dranzer. Tears sprang to my eyes and I almost choked holding them back. I couldn't cry, not here, not in front of the enemy.

"Face it Kai," Brooklyn spat out my name: "You're nothing now, nothing. Being your friend was the stupidest thing I could ever have done. But now I've set my goals, and I can look forward to watching you get your well-deserved punishment."

As I was dragged back into my prison cell, I realised that I had just lost the only two friends I had ever had.


	16. Renewed Hopes

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

I spent the night in the loneliness of my cell, sobbing my heart out in the pain that threatened to rip me apart. I couldn't take it, the hurt, the suffering, was all too much. I couldn't take it any longer...

Until...

I heard the door opening and closing quietly, and soft footsteps padded towards me. Someone leaned down beside me and untied the gag constricting my mouth.

"Shhh, it's okay, it's all going to be fine. Please don't cry."

It was a young girl about my age, kneeling before me, gazing at me with soft eyes. She reached out and gently dried away the tears on my cheeks with her delicate hand.

"Are you okay now?" she asked me, starting to untie my hands.

"I, I think so," I said, feeling my hands being released. I pushed myself up in a sitting position and the girl rubbed my back comfortingly, watching me with genuine concern.

"I'm so sorry for all this, I'm sorry. I wish I could stop it, but I can't," she said, her own voice breaking.

"Hey, don't worry about it," I said gently, touching her shoulder.

"I hate him, I hate Voltaire and all his men, I hate them all! They're so cruel and unfeeling, I can't bear to keep watching them treat people in this way!" she said, a solitary tear tracing a path down her cheek, which was a bright red in contrast to her skin, as though she had been hit.

"Did they hurt you?" I asked.

"The new spy, Isobel, she backhanded me across the face just because I bumped into her when she turned the corner," she said, raising her hand to touch it.

"Are you...a prisoner too?" I asked timidly.

"No, but in a way I guess so. I'm his slave, along with my older cousin Aoi. We were orphans living on the street, when his men caught us and brought us here. We were forced to do his every bidding, and they all hate me because I'm young and soft as they say," she said in a sad voice: "I'm Susuki by the way, you're Kai right? I know because I heard them talking about you."

"Nice to meet you," I said: "Guess we're in the same boat then."

Susuki nodded and crept close to me, and I could tell that she was as desperate as I was for some comfort, for some friendship.

"Thanks for untying me," I said.

"It's nothing," she said rather shyly, then gasped at the sight of my injured temple: "Oh my gosh! You're hurt!"

"Yeah, I was knocked unconscious," I said: "It hurts pretty bad."

"I'll heal it for you, just lie down," she said, taking out a handkerchief from her pocket. She moved towards a tap in the corner and wet it, then came towards me and gently dabbed at my wound. The feel of water was very refreshing on it, and it didn't throb as bad anymore. I relaxed and Susuki continued to take care of me, sometimes caressing my cheeks for comfort. I was taking a great liking to her, and her gorgeous red hair reminded me of Dranzer...whom I would probably never see again now.

"Do you have a beyblade?" I asked.

"Um, well I uh, I used to. That is, before Voltaire took it away," she said.

"Oh, you too huh?" I said slowly.

"Yeah, I haven't seen my bit-beast Artemis in years now. I miss her, she was like a close friend to me," said Susuki.

"I understand, I know how it feels," I said.

When she had finished cleaning my wound, she stepped back and said: "I'm afraid I must go now, before they notice I'm gone. I'm going to have to tie you up or we'll be in trouble," she said apologetically.

"Yeah, of course," I said, and waited while she tied the rope loosely around my wrists and placed the gag back on.

What made me feel alive though, was the tender kiss on my cheek before she left.


	17. The Past meets the Present

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

The next day brought with it the start of my punishment, which according to Voltaire (I refuse to call him 'grandfather' anymore) is well-deserved. But I can't see how running away from a place of daily torture and suffering makes me a traitor. In my opinion, kidnapping your bestfriend and taking him to an evil organisation against his will in order to gain power is the ultimate betrayal. But apparently, it is the good who suffer and the bad who benefit in this world. That's how it's always been for me...

~Flashback~

"Please, don't do it! Don't hurt me! I swear it wasn't me! I swear it!" I yelled, sobbing with desperation, begging Voltaire and his henchman Boris to spare me what was never my fault. My friend, Dan, had broken into Boris's office and stolen a powerful beyblade that was currently undergoing testing. For fear of getting caught, he had placed it in my pocket when I wasn't looking and now I was the victim, the one to be blamed.

"How dare you!" Boris spat, his voice quivering with uncontrollable rage: "How dare you steal from me!"

"It wasn't me! It wasn't me, I'm begging you please believe me! It was Dan! He did it! He did it!" My voice had risen to a shrill scream of terror, and tears threatened to fall. I had chosen to trust in a friend whom I had thought was genuinely honest, and yet he had stooped so low as to use me as shield for his own crime. In this place, there was no one you could trust, and that was the ugly truth.

"I will punish him myself," Boris said, grabbing a handful of my slate-grey hair. As I was dragged through the corridors, my screams rang out, piercing every child's heart with insane fear. You couldn't blame them for the sins their fear forced, but could you blame me?

~End Flashback~

I was picked up from the floor where I lay and pushed roughly onto my feet. It was a guard, dressed in the long, black uniform that each one wore, a metaphor symbolising death. He held my arm so tightly that I felt the blood flow being cut off. I yelped through my gag, but being the cruel man he was, he just squeezed even harder. We stopped in front of a dull room, whose blood-stained metal door was already open. I was shoved inside and thrown on the floor, landing with a hard thud on my knees. My hands were still tied behind my aching back, so I couldn't reach up and caress my throbbing arm, which felt as though the muscles and veins within had been torn out and crushed.

I raised my gaze and glanced weakly around the room. Through the dim light of the broken lamp above, I could see Brooklyn, Isobel and even...

Susuki's pained gaze met mine, and for one silent moment, our eyes were locked together. But if we held our stare, we would be caught, and so I had to break the connection.

My heart made a sickening somersault when I caught sight of Voltaire, staring hungrily at my helpless body. And next to him, was none other than Boris.

He had returned...to see me suffer. Was it never enough for them?

"Young Kai! How you've grown! I'm glad, it means that I will have more places to hit!" he said, laughing his deep, gross laugh. For a split-second, I saw Susuki shiver in her dark spot against the wall, obviously with disgust.

Boris leaned down and grabbed my iron grey bangs, pulling them so much that it seemed as though he was trying to rip them off my scalp. I groaned with the coarse pain that etched itself deep in my head, and he grinned maliciously at me.

"Hurt already? That won't help you at all, young Kai. After all, it is going to get much much worse," he said with venomous delight.

"Start. Now," said a familiar voice. I turned and saw Brooklyn, waiting impatiently for my torture to begin. How could he...? How...how dare he...?

"Yeah! Let's get to it! I wanna see some action!" Isobel piped up, face glowing with lusty excitement.

"Wait...But one has not spoken..." said Boris.

He turned and locked his icy sight on Susuki, who stared back with wide-eyed fear.

"Well? Should we begin, dear Suki?" he said with false gentleness.

Susuki gulped and squeezed her eyes tightly as she tipped down her head in a slight nod. I could sense her pain at having to betray me. But that was not betrayal. She was a victim of dire cruelty...as much as I was.


	18. Susuki's Mistake

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

"Excellent! Let us relive the sweet past memories, shall we?" said Boris, grabbing a tight hold of my torn shirt. He dragged me over to a metal table and forced me down. Although he untied me, I could not enjoy my freedom for long, because my wrists and ankles were locked into the metal restraints. They were tight around my skin, digging into my bone, and I couldn't even move an inch. Nothing could help me escape from the sudden waves of electricity that shot through my body, flaming sharply at my skin like burning thorns. I let out a high-pitched scream, trying to wrench myself away, but the metal just drove the electricity into my unprotected skin. When it stopped, I slumped lifelessly, breathing raggedly through my burning lungs. Each move I made stung wildly, and my chest felt tight. I couldn't breath properly, and I felt like I was losing my breath. Voltaire approached me, staring coldly at me, as though I was a criminal or some serial killer.

"Surely you're not tired already, grandson?" said Voltaire smugly.

"You're...you're no...grandfather...of mine," I rasped weakly, my chest heaving from the effort of speaking.

"Really? Is that so? Well then, let me show you what kind of grandfather I am," he said, and with that, took out a long horse-whip. I tried to conceal my fear, but he could see through me like a clear glass. He raised his whip and smacked it hard on my belly, bringing it down repeatedly, my screams of agony fit to terrorise any who heard them into their deaths. I couldn't bear it any longer, I felt like a piece of torn cloth, flimsy and thin, with nothing to hold it upright. My front was painted with the dark red liquid, tracing the outlines of my gaping wounds. I felt like I was dying, I felt like my very soul was ebbing away.

"Well Kai? Had enough?" said Voltaire, his gaze locked upon my twisted face. I barely had the strength to look at him, at that devil's face, that mask of brutality.

"Y-ye...s-s..." I whispered faintly.

"Please Lord Voltaire! Let's call it a day!" a girl's voice rang out from the other side of the room.

Everyone turned to stare at her, she who had been unable to stop herself. She lowered her head guiltily, gripped by a sudden tremor of silence.

"You dare to tell me what to do?" Voltaire said in a low, dangerous voice.

Brooklyn and Isobel turned to glare harshly at Susuki, who began to twist a lock of her red hair furiously.

"Foolish little creep. You're such a disgraceful weakling! I was having the time of my life and you just had to ruin it?" Isobel snapped angrily.

"I-I just, I stated some advice. I mean no harm. Forgive me," Susuki stammered in a small voice.

"This brat is far too weak. Why are we keeping her around? We should just dispose of her," said Brooklyn in a solid voice.

"Hm. Much as I would like to, I'm afraid that I like having a mousy servant to do my bidding. But nevertheless, should you order me about once more, I will have to dispatch you. Is that understood?" said Voltaire.

"Yes! Yes Lord Voltaire! I will serve you! I promise!" Susuki said immediately.

"Have you...forgotten...about me?" I rasped, trying to divert their attention away from Susuki. The last thing I wanted was for her to get into trouble because of me.

"Don't worry, grandson, I haven't," said Voltaire, turning to face me.

"How eager for punishment he is! Don't worry young Kai, we won't keep you waiting," said Boris, grinning at me.


	19. Fertility of Emotion

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

Throughout the entire morning, I was tortured into insanity. My screams sowed the familiar fear into the hearts of Voltaire and Boris's victims. But I couldn't contain them, they were practically forced out of me.

When they were finally finished, I was thrown onto the hard ground, it's iron grey colour mixing with the red of my blood. I crumpled into a bleeding heap, barely able to breath, my eyes closed and strained from the effort of holding back tears. I was a complete mess.

"You are weak. You will die weak. There is no hope for you now, pathetic bastard," I heard Voltaire say, his voice wavering in the cold, blackened depths of my mind.

"Susuki. Get over here. Now," Boris snapped, watching the fearful girl run over to us.

"Yes sir. What is it?" I heard her say, in broken tones. The sight of my torture must have made a heavy impact on her.

"Take this good-for-nothing fool to his cell, now," Voltaire ordered harshly. I felt the touch of cold steel closing around my wrists and a loud click told me that they were locked together behind my bleeding back, rendering me even more helpless. I also felt an iron collar being locked around my neck, and the clatter of a chain that was connected to it.

"Drag him to his cell. Now. And any gentleness will be severely punished," said Voltaire.

"Why don't I do it? That brat's gonna defy you for sure," I heard Isobel's voice say.

"I can do it myself, thank you!" Susuki snapped back, taking a quick hold of my chain.

As I was dragged out of the room, leaving a sickening trail of blood behind me, I heard Isobel's faint snarl of anger, and Boris's chuckle of amusement. We were mere puppets for his entertaining. Nothing more, and a lot less.

As I was placed on the hard floor of my small cell, I heard the door close behind me and saw Susuki approach me. Her eyes were brimming with tears, a few of which began to spill down her face.

"I'm so sorry Kai! I'm so so sorry! I hate having to betray you, but Lord Voltaire will kill us both if we defy his rules! Please, I beg you, please forgive me!" she sobbed, throwing her soft arms around me, pressing her face into my hair.

"Don't...be...sorry...It's not your...fault," I coughed and felt something snake it's way up my throat. As I turned, I retched violently, bile splashing onto the ground beside me, mingling with the blood that I spat out. Susuki held my arms in order to support me, while I threw up what felt like the very guts within me. Afterwards, I slumped back into Susuki's trembling arms, and I felt her directing me towards the wall. A moment later, she managed to lift me up onto the wooden bench which hung there, and I felt her cradling my throbbing head.

"Kai...it's true that I barely know you...but I feel like my heart is being wrenched out of my chest when I see you like this..." she said in a voice heavy with emotion.

I didn't know what to say, I really didn't. But I suspected that Susuki's feelings were starting to get a little more deeper than friendship. I wanted to tell her that I was immensely grateful for her help, that I would probably have given up without her...

...But a deep sleep overcame me and put my senses at rest.


	20. Reunion

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

(3rd person narrative)

Voltaire made his way down the corroded staircase, which was fractured in several places. It twisted down into the basement, where several prison cells lined the walls. These cells where different from the ones on the upper floors because they were covered by mere iron bars rather than as an enclosed room. As he passed them, Voltaire peered into the rooms, where young children, teens and even adults were imprisoned, suffering in the dark and moaning in continuous agony. Finally, he approached the one that interested him, the one where his very son was held prisoner.

He stopped before it and stared fixedly at the man and woman inside. The man was sitting on a bench, his black hair barely decipherable against the overwhelming shadows. His pale hands gripped the wood so tightly that the knuckles were a skeletal white. The woman was curled up on the floor, gripping her knees and burying her face in them, her filthy brown hair strewn around her thin frame.

"Susumu. Esme. You might be interested in what I have to say," said Voltaire, eyeing them with malice.

Susumu raised his head slowly and turned to look at his detested father, his brown eyes broken and shot with red veins. Esme stirred but did not look up, and as a result, Voltaire grabbed a jagged rock beneath his boots and flung it at her, catching her on her ear. She yelped in pain and Susumu growled angrily, jumping off his seat to crouch down before his wife, cradling her weak body in his arms.

"What do you want?" he snarled, glaring murderously at his father.

"I have someone I would like you to see. Perhaps you remember him," said Voltaire. As he spoke, he took out a long key, fitted it inside the rusted lock, twisted and opened the door, flinging it inwards.

Susumu held Esme and helped her on her feet, supporting her body. She had not been being fed properly, and now she had weakened considerably. Her thin hands grasped her husband's shirt tightly, desperate not to fall back.

"She's getting weaker and weaker. Typical of her, she never had any strength, not even when we brought her here," Voltaire smirked, staring at Esme.

"Shut up. She's only weak because you made her that way," Susumu protested, standing up for his beloved. The truth was that Esme had never been frail, in contrast, her sunny spirit had blessed her life with a healthy strength. That is, before she had been taken here.

"Follow me. And try not to die on the way," Voltaire added sarcastically, turning to make his way back up the stairs.

(Kai P.O.V.)

I was woken up by the sound of a door creaking open. My eyes were glued together with the overwhelming tiredness that racked my body, but I forced them open anyway. Suddenly, i felt the chain around my neck being grabbed and my neck was jerked back roughly as I tumbled onto the floor. It was Voltaire, but he was not alone. With him were a frail couple, pale-skinned and obviously undernourished as conveyed by their bony bodies. I didn't know who they were...until...

~Flashback~

"No daddy! Please don't go! Please!" I yelled, reaching out from my mother's arms, desperately trying to grab at my father.

"I'm sorry Kai. I'm sorry Esme. Forgive me," were his last words as he turned his back on us and walked out of the door.

"Daddy no! No don't leave! I'm begging you! Please don't leave me!" I screamed at his shrinking form, becoming blurred by the red evening sun. I could feel my mother's chest heaving rapidly as she sobbed softly. I couldn't understand why she never tried to stop him, why she never went after him.

A week later, she mysteriously disappeared, and my grandfather told me that she had up and left me, abandoned me in search of a new life, entrusted me in his 'care'.

~End Flashback~

Now I knew I had been wrong.


	21. Ultimatum

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

"No...it-it can't be!" my father stammered, staring at me with wide eyes full of recognition.

"D-dad...?" I asked, gazing up at them.

My mother slowly turned her head and looked at me. She appeared so weak that she could barely keep herself upright.

"Is it...is it Kai? Is...is that my son?" she said, trying to come closer.

Voltaire let out a humourless laugh, kicking me in the side: "Yes, this pathetic little brat is your son. Hard to believe that you can actually recognise him Esme, I'd have thought that your retarded mind could never have been capable of such a thing!"

"Mum...dad..." I rasped, spitting out blood.

"Kai!" my dad yelled, trying to come closer.

"I never said you could touch him," said Voltaire in a taunting manner, stepping in front of me to block his way.

"Please!...Let...let me see them...please," I begged, my voice scratchy with damage.

"Hah! Very well then! But only on one condition!" said Voltaire, grinning at me with dark satisfaction.

"What are you planning this time, Voltaire?" my dad spat out his name hatefully. It was clear that he obviously didn't think of him as a father anymore either.

"I will only let you see him, if you promise to work alongside me and do my every bidding! Without question! Or else," Voltaire whipped out a dagger and held it pressed to the back of my neck: "He's dead!"

My mother gasped, tightening her hold on dad's torn shirt. Their faces were both masks of fear and confusion. If they were to accept, then they would become his slaves and be constantly humiliated. But if they were to decline...

"Very well! We accept! As long as you promise to let us see our son!" dad ordered sternly, rubbing mum's back comfortingly. I could see the faint glimmer of tears snaking down her cheeks.

"Very well! Go on then, slaves! Take a look at your precious son!" Voltaire shouted triumphantly, dropping the chain onto the ground beside me. As he made his way out, he slammed the door behind him and turned the lock, securing us in.

My parents rushed towards me, and flung themselves on me, embracing me fiercely. I longed to hug them back, but my bound hands wouldn't let me. Since they were locked with iron, they couldn't unlock them either, so I just pressed my face into my mother's chest and allowed my father to stroke my hair. They were both crying, my dad silently and my mother loudly. They had both missed me so much, and now that I knew that they had left against their will, I realised how glad I was to see them too.


	22. Family

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

"Kai, Kai sweetheart," my mother cooed, pressing me close to her chest and running her fingers through my hair.

"What have they been doing to you Kai?" my father asked, his eyes clouded with concern as he looked me up and down, examining by battered body.

"They tortured me...a lot," I mumbled, saddened by the look of deep hurt at their seeing me like this after so long.

"I thought...I thought you had...left me because you didn't...care about me," I said in a low voice. I wanted to hear what had happened, what had really taken place, and not the made-up lies that Voltaire had fed my vulnerable mind.

"Yes, you deserve an explanation," my dad said, placing his hand on my shoulder: "You see, after Voltaire realised that I wasn't cut out for business, he threatened me that he would kill you Kai. I was afraid, mortally afraid, I knew what he was capable of. So I offered to make a deal, so that he would leave us alone, but unfortunately, it didn't turn out as well as I expected."

"Voltaire agreed to leave you alone Kai, on one condition," said my mother: "That Susumu joined him in his evil plans."

I gasped with realisation. So that was why dad had left...and not because he had abandoned us of his own free will as I had always believed.

"I had no choice Kai, your life was way more important to me. I knew that my leaving you would never mean that you were safe, but what other option did I have?" Tears had started welling up in dad's sunken eyes, tears of remorse: "In the end, he forced me to become his slave."

"I wanted to protect you Kai, I wanted to give you a chance for a better life," my mother said in a voice choked with tears as the horrid memories flooded back: "But a week later, Voltaire captured me too. And he took you in that hideous abbey of Balkov's to raise you like a tool."

"I-I n-never...never thought that...things could've been this way...And all this time, I hated you both because I thought you didn't care about me," I said guiltily, starting to cry myself.

"We have to get rid of Voltaire and Boris...both!" dad said, balling his hand into a fist.

"Yeah...but remember, other people's lives are at stake," I said.

"He's right Susumu," mum said worriedly: "There are people here who could die instantly if we make one wrong move. They've both murdered before, and the psychopaths love it."

"I've seen them kill, I've seen them hurt, torture children as young as four to insanity...they deserve the hottest parts of hell," I said, pressing closer to my mother for comfort.

"Voltaire even killed his wife...my...my mother," dad said, gritting his teeth against his fury.

"He's a madman," my mum agreed, nodding her head slowly: "I've never said anything like this before, but I'd love to see him torn apart to shreds."

"Me too," I said. I hadn't forgotten all that he and Boris had put me through, my entire life...

"They even...even forced my only friend to betray me...and gave him beyblade to destroy...before my very eyes," I said, my heart throbbing painfully from the torturous memory.

"They destroyed Dranzer?" my dad gasped, his face full of shock. Reluctantly, I nodded and lowered my eyes. Dranzer had been passed on to me by my father. It had been in the Hiwatari family for generations...and now it was gone.

"At least...at least you have us now...at least we're together again," my mother said, trying to comfort us.

"Yeah...at least," I agreed, managing a smile. My dad returned it through his pain and embraced us both.

True that Voltaire could make us hurt each other...but at least we were a family again.


	23. Life or Death

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

That night, I truly wished that I could be free long enough to kill Voltaire with my bare hands. I don't think I've ever hated anyone (except for Boris) more than him, and he's supposed to be my grandfather! Well, he certainly doesn't act like one!

It was late at night, and me and my parents had fallen asleep in my cell, each of us strewn on the cold floor next to each other. I noticed that my mother kept shivering, perhaps because she was so weak and thin. I wanted to help her, to do something for her, anything...but what could I do? After all, I couldn't even help myself. At that moment, the door burst open and startled us awake. Three people strode in and grabbed us, shoving us roughly towards the door. I recognised them as Isobel, Tenzou...and Brooklyn, who had grabbed a tight hold of me. We were led off towards the torture room, and I hoped that they wouldn't hurt my parents. My mother in particular was in no condition to take any torture and live through it. She already looked like one strike could finish her off. I wanted the victim to be me, not them. They were important to me...and I loved them, with all my heart.

We were thrown in, and I fell on the floor, still pinned down by Brooklyn. Boris and Voltaire were there as well, but I couldn't see Susuki. Instead, a young man whom I had never seen before was standing in her usual place against the wall, reluctantly watching us. Although I didn't know him, I suspected that he was as much a victim as I was.

"Susumu, I suspect that you have gotten bored of doing nothing in your cell, so today we're going to allow you some fun," Boris smirked nastily, watching as my dad glared daggers at him.

"Just what are you talking about?" my dad snapped back.

"How about some quality time with your dear son? You'd like that, wouldn't you?" said Boris.

"Just spit it out," my dad was fast losing his patience. He, like me and mum, hated being toyed with.

"Very well! I'll say it: whip your son, now," he said, holding back an evil laugh.

"What the hell makes you think I'll do that?" my dad yelled, balling his hands into fists.

Suddenly, Voltaire grabbed my mother and slammed her down on the floor, crushing her beneath his boots. To our even greater horror, he pulled out a silver gun and pointed it at her head, placing his finger on the trigger.

"If you don't, your precious Esme dies," he said gloatingly, clicking the trigger into place.

"No! Don't! I'll-I'll do it!" my father stammered, choked on emotion. He had no choice, her life was on the line. It was better that he hurt me, I'd still be alive. In gruelling situations like this, there is only one thing that must remain victorious: life.

My dad looked at me, but not in my eyes, he couldn't do that, not when he was betraying me. But to me, he wasn't betraying me, to me his rescuing mum, and that was way more important.

"No! No Susumu, don't hurt him!" my mother croaked, yelping in pain as Voltaire sank the heel of his boot in her back.

"Get away from her! Now! Don't forget what you promised!" dad shouted angrily, mortally afraid for her life. He turned to face me and took the whip that Isobel handed him. The thirst for blood in that woman's eyes was more vampirish than human. I bit my lip, waiting for the whip to rain on my back, to crack on my bones, and when it came, I didn't let out a single moan of pain. Even though I felt that I could take no more, I still promised that I wouldn't make it harder for my parents, for my father who was forced to hurt me, and for my mother who was forced to watch.

When it was done, we were separated, taken to individual cells. I felt so lonely, so desperate for company, but I had no one...no one at all.


	24. The Attack

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

Or so I thought.

Late that night, I heard the door creak open, and I turned to see who it was. I was surprised to see Susuki standing there, in a long blue nightdress that pronounced the colour of her eyes, and the pallor of her skin.

"Kai," she said, closing the door quietly and sitting beside me on the floor. She looked different somehow, perhaps it was the unusual sickly white tinge to her skin.

"Suki, are you alright?" I asked concernedly.

"Oh, um, not so much. I wasn't feeling too well so I was allowed to skip your, um, torture earlier. My cousin Aoi had to attend in my place. I asked him about you, and he said that they forced your parents to hurt you...am I right?" she said.

"Yeah...but, your skin, it looks really pale, it can't be normal right?" I persisted, wanting to know more.

"I don't really know what it is either. I just feel weaker somehow, and I'm starting to feel feverish at times too," she said, staring at her laps and fidgeting with her dress.

"Hey, listen," I said, reaching out to touch her arm: "There's something I want to tell you."

"Hm?" she looked up and gazed into my eyes.

"Um, I don't know how to say this, but-"

The door suddenly slammed open and Isobel appeared in the doorway, standing with her hand on her hip and a look of smug satisfaction on her face.

"Well well, what do we have here?" she said in a tone laden with false sweetness, her eyes alone smirking at us.

We had been discovered.

"I-I just came to check on-on Kai, that's all!" Susuki stammered, fear flooding her eyes.

"Really now? Well I don't think I like your, 'checking' on him," Isobel said, approaching us.

"No one cares what you like," I said moving in front of Susuki.

"Hah! I smell the beginning of something deep sprouting here! Well you know what? It's gonna stop right now!" she reached out and tried to grab Susuki's arm but I smacked it away, protecting Suki.

"You dare touch me? You wanna fight pal?" she growled.

"Yeah, if it means keeping you away from Suki!" I snarled back, staggering upright.

"Oh Suki now, is she! I knew it! Come over here, let's see what you got!" Isobel smirked, raising her clawed fist.

"No Kai! Don't do it! You're in no condition to figh-argh!" Susuki suddenly hunched forward, clutching her stomach, her face drained of all colour.

"Susuki!" I turned, only to be grabbed by Isobel and flung against the wall.

"You didn't forget about me, did you?" she grinned, pinning my arms against the wall. I was still bleeding, and the sudden impact brought a wave of dizziness. But I didn't allow Isobel to touch me, no one could touch me, in that way. I kicked her away and brought down my fist hard on her head, knocking her out. Then I fell on the ground, weakened and hurt. I could hear Susuki groaning in some sort of pain, but my own took over and I fell unconscious.


	25. The Confrontation

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

When I woke up, I found myself lying on a soft bed, in a small room I had never seen before. I tried to arrange myself in a more comfortable position, but I realised that I was strapped down in a spread-eagled position. I also realised that I wasn't wearing any clothes, and my wounds and bruised were pronounced against my pale skin. Suddenly, I caught sight of Isobel, leaning against the wall, smoking one of her cigarettes and watching me intently. I suddenly felt afraid, I knew she had always wanted to dominate me, but this time I was completely helpless.

She moved towards me and leaned down to face me, blowing a puff of smoke into my face. I coughed, I had always hated cigarettes.

"Now I've got you right where I want you," she said smilingly.

"Tell me where Susuki is," I asked, hoping that she was alright.

"Don't worry, Boris is dealing with her. She'll be fine, some blood will do well to her white skin," she chuckled beneath her breath, then pressed the flaming tip of the cigarette onto my chest, burning my skin. I screamed, it hurt, especially when she did it on a raw gash.

Anyway, what happened next is going to remain undisclosed. I don't want to relive it again.

When I was thrown back in my cell, I was bleeding harshly, and my wounds stung and burned against my raw skin. I shivered in the cold dampness of my cell, and felt rather sick. I hoped that Susuki was alright, I wished I could know what had happened to her, and why she looked so sick and agonised. I wished that I could have told her, wished that Isobel had caught us a minute afterwards, that would have been enough. But now I didn't even know whether I would ever see her again.

I spit out blood and instantly felt my stomach heave. Turning around, I heaved and retched on the floor, sickening at the sight of blood that mingled with the horrid liquid. I felt like I wanted to die. I had nothing to live for anymore. Nothing.

Nothing.

"Kai."

I gasped at the sound of my name. As I whipped around, I caught sight of the familiar figure behind me, with flaming orange hair and icy blue eyes.

"Br-Brooklyn?" I wiped away the trickle of blood from my mouth and stared up at my old friend. I hadn't even heard him come in.

"Kai...looks like you haven't got much left, huh?" he said flatly, in a weird toneless voice.

"Yeah, thanks to you," I said, turning away from him: "Enjoying your power?"

"Yeah, it's awesome. Never liked anything better," he answered, and I could feel his eyes staring at the back of me.

"Good. So, I see you haven't regretted betraying your only friend then, huh?" I said, still not looking at him.

"No, not really. It was actually worth it," he said.

I couldn't control myself any longer. I sprang up and punched him straight across the face, once, twice, three times. Until I saw the promising red liquid trickle from his nose.

To my surprise, he didn't retaliate, but stood there, staring at me, with a face so blank and empty that it was impossible to read his emotions.

"You destroyed me! You destroyed my life! You crushed Dranzer before my very eyes, turned me in to people that you knew would try to kill me and did everything you could to make my life hell! How can you sleep at night? How can you look me in the eyes after what you did to me?" I yelled, my voice thick with an uncontrollable rage.

"As long as I have power, as long as I'm better than you, my rival, then I'm happy. That's all that matters to me," he said.

I smacked him against the face once more, releasing my bottled-up rage on him. I hated him, I hated him for doing this to me. I loathed his very blood...

And yet...

"Why are you crying?" he asked me, lifting his hand to his broken nose.

I didn't answer. Or perhaps I couldn't. If he had any idea what I was feeling at that precise moment he would probably kill himself.

"Leave. Leave me now," I ordered, backing away from him.

He stood fixedly for a moment, then turned and left the room, locking the door behind him. I slumped back against the wall and began to sob with the pain that racked my battered body. I had never felt worse than this, never. In all my life, my worthless life, I had never felt this unhappy.

Was my every hope really gone?


	26. Poisonous Cause

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

(3rd person narration)

Susuki lay in her bed, staring up at the grey roof above her, spotted with damp patches of humidity. After Isobel had taken Kai away, Boris had whipped her until she broke into pleading sobs. He had been so angry, so furious with her, that she knew she would never be able to push his demonic face out of her mind. She felt even worse now, without an ounce of strength, and her skin had taken on a sickly green tinge. She wondered what the hell was happening to her, and Aoi was far too worried to leave her alone. She was his only family, and his only friend. Without her, he would be alone, he couldn't afford to lose her.

"Hey, how are you feeling now?" he asked quietly.

"T-terr-ible..." she murmured, coughing wildly.

"I wish I knew what was wrong, I'd do anything I could to make you feel better," said Aoi: "And then that bastard whipped you, when you were in that state! What was he trying to do? Kill you?"

Suddenly, an idea came to him. What if Boris really was trying to kill Susuki? This illness of hers had developed after his arrival. What if he was adding some sort of poison to her food that was killing her slowly?

He didn't want to tell her all this, but he was going to find out. Even if it meant getting into trouble, he was not going to let his beloved cousin die.

Voltaire and Boris stood in the topmost balcony, staring out at the peaceful city. The lights shimmered amongst the black buildings, and the many streets were aglow with thousands of cars.

"They could all be ours...one day," said Boris.

Voltaire said nothing but stared ahead, his eyes gazing through the magnificent view, his mind elsewhere.

"Something on your mind?" asked Boris, sensing his deep silence.

"It's Kai...I'm wondering what I should do with him. He's not an asset to us...we should just kill him," said Voltaire.

"Hmmm, is that so?" Boris said amusedly: "Well I think I want to keep him around a bit longer. Things are starting to get rather interesting."

"Are they now?" said Voltaire rather flatly.

"Indeed. For instance, have you noticed that young Susuki and our Kai are beginning to grow closer? Isobel caught them together in Kai's cell, apparently Susuki snuck in to visit him. They were both severely punished of course, but I'm afraid I had to leave Kai in Isobel's hands. She said she wanted to have some 'fun' with him," said Boris, ending his sentence with one of his deep evil laughs.

"Interesting. So my grandson has found himself a companion then, even in the situation he's in," Voltaire mused.

"Yes, and we will use that to our advantage. My suspicions began when Susuki asked us to stop when we were torturing Kai in her presence. From that moment, I realised that some sort of relationship could be brewing up between the two. I began to conceal poisonous mixtures within her food that will weaken her to a slow and tortuous death. That way, Kai will lose his last hope and his pain will be increased," Boris explained.

"His last hope? I suppose you haven't forgotten about my 'dear' son and daughter-in-law, have you?" asked Voltaire.

"Ah yes, Kai's parents. Do not worry, I haven't forgotten about them," Boris grinned maliciously, his mind already working out a plan.


	27. On One Condition

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

(Kai P.O.V.)

I woke up in my cell, feeling cold and in pain. My wounds sent spasms of hot pain gushing through my body, and I caught sight of the decorations that Isobel had burnt on my body. I had welts and scabs, scattered on my chest, back, and particularly on my legs. She had burned me with her cigarettes, and I had marks all over me. If I ever saw that bitch again, it would be too soon.

I ran my fingers through my hair. It was coarse and filthy, no longer the soft bangs I used to have. It even had dried blood on some parts of it, and I wanted desperately to shower it. But those creeps wouldn't let me, they wanted me to feel as uncomfortable as possible.

The door suddenly opened and I heard someone entering. I remained hunched where I was, not even bothering to look. I had become indifferent to life and it's sufferings.

"Young Kai, not even a greeting? How rude, it's not like we're keeping you gagged anymore," said Boris's voice.

I didn't look at him, didn't even move. I stared at the ground beneath me, sulkily perhaps, but unmoving nevertheless.

"Don't you want to see your parents...Kai?" his voice whispered in my ear, he was directly behind me. My heart gave a jolt as I heard the magic word. Of course I wanted to see my parents, but I knew that he was using them as a weapon against me. I knew that he wanted to hurt me, to hurt us.

"Fine, I'll take that as a no then. Perhaps I'll go and pay young Susuki a visit. There's no telling what I could do in my boredom," he said tauntingly, getting up and walking slowly away.

"Wait!"

He stopped suddenly at the satisfying sound of my voice and craned his neck around to look at me.

"What is it?" he asked pleasantly.

"I-I want to see them," I said, painfully hoisting myself to a stand.

"Them who?" he asked. He was playing around, toying with me, with my emotions.

"You know exactly who! My parents, I want to see them," I said in a harsher voice.

"Not even a please or anything, what manners!" he said, walking ahead. I followed behind, glaring daggers at his back, wishing him dead. Unfortunately, the bad guys always seem immortal in this world. It's always the good who suffer and die. I hated that.

Boris led me to the hideously familiar room, the torture room, and opened the door.

"Well Kai? Why are you just standing there? Go in! Or, have you changed your mind?" he said.

"You first," I said. I didn't want to fall into some kind of trap, I wasn't that indifferent.

"Very well," he sighed exasperatedly, stepping inside. I followed him in, looking around to see if I could spot my parents. To my horror, I saw that they were chained to a wall, as though waiting for punishment. Why did something tell me that I was going to dish it out?

"What do you think?" he asked, gazing with sheer delight upon my snarling face.

"Let them go," I said.

"Hah! Yes, as if," he said, pushing me forward. I stumbled but regained my posture, rushing towards them. They looked even warier than usual, their faces gaunt and their eyes sunken and blank, my mother's glassy and dull.

"I assume that you recall the day when your father whipped you mercilessly, don't you?" said Boris: "How about you repay him, and your mother for merely watching?"

"In that case, replace them with Brooklyn. He's the one who deserves a good whipping for all that he's put me through," I said, staring Boris in the eye.

"Ah, Brooklyn is not a traitor! He is a powerful blader who will allow us to take over the world of blading, and remove it from it's pathetic state. It is your parents who are to be whipped now," he replied.

"I won't. I won't hurt them, forget it!" I said.

"Are you sure?" asked Boris.

"Positive. Let them go," I said.

"Very well then. But only on the condition that you do me a favour," said Boris.

"What's that?" I asked.

"I bring you Susuki, and you stab her to death," he said.

I choked, staring through him in the utmost horror. If I whipped my parents, they would surely die, and if I didn't, Susuki would die. What was I supposed to do here?

"Confused, young Kai?" asked Boris.

"Look, tell me what you want from me, and I'll do it. Anything you want, even if you want me to be a slave to do your every bidding, I'll do it. As long as you spare their lives," I said.

"Looking for the easy way out, are we?" Boris grinned, realising that he had me eating out of his hands.

"Please, just don't hurt them. Please I'll do anything!" I said: "I-I'll be your loyal servant! I'll be your permanent slave, anything!" I was grasping for straws, but I'm afraid that push had come to shove.

Boris laughed loudly, highly amused by my pitiful state. I had been reduced to begging my captor to be his entertainer. But hell, what other choice did I have? The lives of those most dear to me was at stake here!

"You're pathetic! You know that Kai? Pathetic! But yes, alright, I accept! I will inform Voltaire immediately!" he said.

"Hold it! I said that only on the condition that you let them go! Now! Or you can forget it!" I said angrily.

"Why yes, of course. I promise that I won't hurt them anymore! They will remain safe in their cells. But remember, put one toe out of line, and you can say goodbye to them immediately," he said.

"Yes. I promise I'll serve you. I'll do anything you ask for. You can hurt me as much as you want, always instead of them," I said.

"Rest assured Kai! Tenzou! Take these two back to their cells, now," he ordered to the young man in the corner. I recognised him as Isobel's partner, I hadn't even noticed him through all the panic.

"Yes sir," he said, advancing towards my parents. He unlocked the iron chains and began leading them out, and as my father passed me, he winked. I don't know what it meant, perhaps he was merely thanking me, or...was it some sort of hidden message?

"Come, slave, allow me to lead you to Voltaire. He will be ever so pleased," said Boris happily.


	28. Escape

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

I was standing in Voltaire's office, glaring down at the floor, as though it was the enemy. I was barely listening to Boris's delighted voice as he explained to Voltaire that I wanted to be their slave. It was frustrating, humiliating and humorous all at the same time.

"Our slave, huh? How enlightening. I can't wait to do with you whatever I want," grinned Voltaire, staring down at me.

"I said I would only if you don't hurt my parents, Susuki and her cousin. I certainly didn't say it because I wanted to please you in any way," now that the panic of the dreadful moment had left me, my anger was starting to return.

"Agreed...slave," said Voltaire, placing particular pressure on the word 'slave'.

"Being our slave doesn't mean just me and Voltaire, it includes Tenzou, Isobel and dear Brooklyn as well," said Boris.

The instant shock must have been visible on my face because both began to laugh. This was going way too far, these bastards were clearly taking advantage of my weakness and enjoying it! Isobel would make me her love-slave! And Brooklyn...I would have to serve the very one who betrayed me!

"What's the matter, slave? Don't like the conditions?" said Boris: "We could always reverse this if you want, but then, I'm afraid your friends and family will have to-"

"-No!" I cut in: "I don't disagree, I-I'll do it, I promise." I bit my lip, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. I knew I was in for a taste of pure hell, but I had to bear in mind that this was for my parents' safety, and for Susuki.

"Excellent!" said Boris: "Then I will tell the others immediately!"

But as he was about to turn towards the door, it burst open and a guard appeared.

"Master Boris! Lord Voltaire! Something bad has happened!" he yelled.

"What is it?" asked Voltaire. I stared at them, wondering what could possibly be so bad.

" was found beaten up on the ground, and he told us that Susumu and Esme Hiwatari have escaped!"

My heart must have stopped beating. I couldn't believe my ears. Mum and dad had actually escaped?

"What?" Voltaire raged, grinding his teeth together.

"I'm sorry, sir, but they had left already before the alarm could be raised!" said the guard apologetically.

"This changes everything!" Boris shouted, glaring at the fearful guard, who quickly bowed in apology.

They turned to stare at me, and I kept my eyes fixed on the floor, concealing the joy that lit up my face. Now I knew what dad's wink had meant. He had planned to tackle Tenzou since he would be alone with them. At least my plan proved fruitful!

"Bastard, you're enjoying this, aren't you?" Boris raged, and I could feel his hot glares knifing me.

"No, not at all," I lied calmly, smirking silently at him.

Voltaire slammed his fist on his desk, flooded with uncontrollable rage. Now it was my turn to delight in their rage, in their frustration. Now it was my turn to humiliate them!

"You'll pay for this, you'll pay!" Boris advanced towards me and grabbed a hold of my shirt, forcing me to look at him: "You'll pay so bad you'll wish you were DEAD!"

"I don't mind...Asshole," I said. My rudeness received a sharp blow on my cheek, but it wasn't enough to wipe my smile away. Now that my parents were finally free, they could seek help. They could get us all out of here!

Unfortunately though, it looked like I would have to suffer the consequences first.


	29. Forgiveness

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

My first punishment started with Brooklyn. It was the following morning, and I was forced to go to him. Although my parents had fled, there were still Susuki and Aoi, and their lives were as much as stake as they had been.

I approached Brooklyn in the corridor, watching him leaning smugly on the door of the room behind him. He smirked rather evilly as he saw me, and said: "Looks like my new toy has arrived."

I said nothing, but stared blankly at him. Silence was the best approach in this situation.

"I'm gonna have so much fun with you, Kai," he drawled in his lazy voice that I once sought comfort in. He stood back and opened the door, and I followed reluctantly. I flinched at the sight of hundreds of sharp knives lining the walls, but tried not to let my fear show.

"What do you think? Neat, huh?" he asked casually, as though he was showing me around his bedroom.

"Yes," I said rather quietly. I think my face might have blanched.

"Now please, I don't want any pathetic screaming, 'kay?" he said.

"Fine," I said.

I watched him walk over to a metal table at the other side of the room. I didn't like this, I was starting to feel really afraid.

"Lie down, now," he ordered. I did as I was told, and silently waited while he strapped me down. I tried to focus my thoughts on mum and dad, imagining them running away from this house of evil, imagining them sighing in relief and seeing the smiles on their faces. That was all I wanted.

"I wonder if you can take this, Kai. After all, you're pretty weak," said Brooklyn, hovering a glinting butcher's knife over my face.

My eyes widened with fear and I stared in horror at the sharp point, just inches away from me.

Suddenly, he moved it over my outstretched arm and began carving slowly into my skin, sinking it into the muscle, and I bit back the overwhelming nausea as I heard the sickening slosh of blood oozing out. The agony was beyond imagination, biting into every inch of me, and I broke into heaving breaths.

"Do you like it...slave?" he asked.

I couldn't answer, I was in too much pain to do that. But suddenly he plunged the knife into my arm and let out a scream.

"Answer me when I talk to you," he said coldly.

"I-I d-do-on't", I gasped, sweat breaking out of the pores of my skin.

"Too bad," he said, and suddenly, I felt a gush of unbearably hot liquid sting the large wound on my arm, scalding the muscle and boiling the blood. I screamed, loudly, too loudly, the sound was deafening. A deep blackness overwhelmed my vision and I lapsed into unconsciousness.

When I finally woke up, Brooklyn was staring at me, and to my shock, I saw that tears were in his eyes.

"I thought I told you not to scream," he said in a choked voice.

Was he feeling sorry for me? Was he shocked at my painful outburst? I chanced a look at my arm, or rather, the sickening bloody mess that decorated it.

"W-what d-did y-you do...earlier?" I asked, the throbbing pain already stealing my breath away.

"I poured boiling acid over it. That's why it hurt so bad," he said. His voice had grown quiet and rather emotionless. He wasn't looking me in the eye.

"Why are...you h-hurting...me...like t-this?" I asked.

He shrugged and I saw a tear escape down his cheek, which he quickly brushed away.

"You don't want...this...do you?" I asked.

"Shut up...just shut up!" he said angrily, but I saw the deep hurt in his eyes, and the shame that coupled it.

"You were my friend...and I know...you don't hate me..." I said, feeling tears fill up my eyes as well.

"Be quiet!" he snapped: "I have power, and that's enough for me!"

"No it's not...nothing can...ever replace...friendship...and love..." I said, coughing up blood.

He said nothing, but wiped his eyes and approached me. I feared he would hurt me again, but instead he opened the restraints and freed me.

"It's over. Go," he said.

I gingerly sat up with my good hand and moaned as my bad arm stung and throbbed insanely. To my surprise, I felt Brooklyn's hands supporting me and helping me to climb down from the table. I leaned on him, my only support, and allowed him to lead me over to the door.

"Where will...y-you t-take...me?" I breathed.

"To your cell," he said.

I painfully trudged along the corridors, groaning with pain as my arm bled profusely. It took a while until we arrived, but when we did, I retched on the ground, vomiting a mixture of bile and blood. Brooklyn held me around the waste, helping me to remain standing. When I was done, he almost carried me to my bench and laid me down on it.

"I'm going...to die...aren't I?" I said.

"As if...people don't die from a wound on their limbs," said Brooklyn.

"Why Brooklyn...? Why did y-you...do th-this...?" I rasped, tears of physical and emotional pain cascading down my cheeks.

"I don't...I don't...know," he answered, cradling my wounded arm. He took out his silk white handkerchief and wrapped it around my wound, squeezing it tight to stop the blood flow, and I screamed and burst into tears, unable to bear the agony. Brooklyn stroked my hair and cried silently, and I knew he wasn't as evil as he tried to be. I knew he wasn't as heartless as Voltaire and Boris. I knew he still felt for me, still wanted me to be his friend.

"I'm...sorry," he said.

"You h-have...a lot...to b-be s-sorry...about," I said.

"I know...I know..." he said: "I ruined your life...in every way...for nothing...I'm sorry. I don't deserve to live," he said.

"No, d-don't s-say...that. You can...still...be my...friend," I said.

"How can you still want to be my friend after all that I've done to you! I destroyed Dranzer before your very eyes, I tortured you, I insulted you, I betrayed you! I made your life worse than hell, Kai! I can't live like this, I can't!" he said through sobs of shame.

"Yes you...can..." I said: "You can...make t-things...right f-for...me...You c-can g-get...us out...of here..." I said.

"No I can't...I can't and I'm sorry! I'm too weak to get you, Susuki and Aoi out of here without being seen. I just can't do it!" said Brooklyn.

"Look...we'll t-think o-of somet-thing...l-later..." I must have fallen asleep at that moment, but I felt glad that at least, Brooklyn had seen the light.


	30. Love

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

It must have been hours later when I returned to consciousness. I felt myself lying in a comfortable bed, covered with snug bedsheets. I opened my eyes and saw Susuki sitting in bed beside me, in her pale blue nightdress and bed-robe.

"Hey," she said gently, caressing my cheek with her hand.

I managed a smile and asked: "Suki...d-did you, b-bring me here?"

"No, it was Brooklyn. He carried you here and told us to take care of you," she said.

"Brooklyn..." He was trying to put things right. Being with Susuki after all this time was an excellent start.

"How's your arm?" she asked.

I turned and gazed down at it, and saw that it was heavily bandaged.

"It's not hurting so much anymore," I admitted.

"Aoi fixed it for you. He disinfected it and stopped the blood flow," she explained.

"Where is he now?" I asked.

"He's gone to help Voltaire with something. He'll be back in a couple of hours," she said.

"I'll have to thank him, the pain was driving me nuts," I said, flexing my fingers.

"Say, Kai," she said suddenly: "Remember when we last met, you were going to say something to me?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," I said.

"What was it?" she asked.

"Come closer," I said.

She leaned down, and I kissed her softly on the cheek. She blushed and smiled happily, then touched her lips with mine and kissed me. For the first time in ages, I felt happy, peaceful, at rest. We kissed for a long time, enjoying the touch of each other's lips, then we gently broke apart.

"I wanted to tell you that I love you," I said: "You're beautiful, Suki, and so sweet. You have a heart of gold, don't let anyone ruin it."

"I love you too Kai, so much!" she said, pressing close to me.

We stayed beside each other for a long time, delighting in each other's company, sometimes kissing, sometimes talking, sometimes cuddling together.

Suddenly, I realised that she didn't look sick anymore. Her skin had a healthy rosy touch and her eyes were bright once more.

"You look better than when I last saw you," I said.

"Yes, it was Aoi who found out what was making me sick. He suspected that Boris was poisoning my food, so I stopped eating it. I started to recover after a couple of days, so now I eat Aoi's food instead. We share it between us," she said.

Boris was poisoning you?" I gasped in shock. How dare he? After he forced me to be their slave so that I could protect her, and instead he was secretly killing her!

"That bastard!" I said angrily.

"Yeah, I really hate him for what he's done to you. One day, we'll get out of here, and we'll start to pick up our lives," she said.

"Yeah...yeah we will," I said.

My mind went back to mum and dad, and I wondered where they were and what they were doing. I hoped they were planning on freeing us soon.


	31. Midnight

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

It was late, and Aoi had escorted me back to my cell, at midnight when no one could spot us. I was so glad that Susuki was alright, that I had confided my feelings in her. I was happy that she felt the same towards me...but enraged that Boris had secretly been poisoning her. And after enslaving me for her protection! That man was the biggest traitor I knew...okay yeah, save for Brooklyn, but he was my friend now. And boy, was I glad!

I was sitting in my cell, cradling my injured arm. It didn't hurt so much now, but it still throbbed occasionally. I wondered if anyone would come for me, asking me to do something for them, or more specifically forcing me. But no one came, and I was able to sleep a bit. I felt relaxed for the first time in ages, but at the same time, I felt worried, worried that somehow, we wouldn't be able to make it out alive. Boris and Voltaire were two tough customers, and they didn't stop until they were sure that everyone who despised them was dead, especially me. They had a special hatred for me, and I didn't even know why.

Suddenly, the door opened, and I looked up, hoping to see Brooklyn or Aoi, but I wasn't so lucky this time.

"Get up, slave. There is somewhere I need to go, and I need you with me," said Voltaire, silhouetted against the light behind him. I felt confused, somewhere? Somewhere, out of here? Was it possible that he would take me out of here? And where was he taking me?

I gingerly stood up and walked towards him, a questioning look in my eyed.

"Follow me," he ordered, turning and starting down the corridor. I did as I was told, wondering if I should ask the question, but there was no need.

"Perhaps you are wondering where I am taking you, hm?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah," I said.

"I am suspecting that your precious parents are in collaboration with the police force, and that they are plotting to dispatch us. You are going to help me stop them," he said.

"What?"

I stopped in my tracks, shock coursing through my veins. Did he actually expect me to take down my own parents?

"Oh you're not going to be killing them or anything," he said: "Rather, I will be using you as bait."

"Bait huh? So, you're gonna threaten them with me, and force them to...?" I didn't know what his plans were exactly.

"I will force them to kill each and every member of the police force, in exchange for your life, which by the way, I will take if they disobey," he said.

What is he thinking? I thought: My parents aren't enough to kill the police force! They'll be killed for sure!

And then I realised, that perhaps, Voltaire's plan was to have my parents killed first. He wanted us dead, all of us.

We descended the staircase and stepped outside. For the first time in weeks, I sucked in a breath of fresh air and gazed up at the beautiful sky. Only now could I fully appreciate it, because now, it was a symbol of freedom.

It didn't last long though because suddenly, two guards grabbed me and began tying me up.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I snapped.

"You're bait, remember?" said Voltaire in a matter-of-fact tone. I glared daggers at him as my hands were tied behind my back, placing pressure on my arm, which began to throb again. They sealed my mouth with duct tape and carried me towards Voltaire's black car, shoving me inside the trunk. As they shut me in complete darkness, I heard them getting in and felt the engine starting up.

As we drove off, I hoped that somehow, his plans would go astray.


	32. The Final Showdown

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

I don't know whether it was because I was tied up and stuffed in a small dark trunk, but it felt like hours until we arrived. I felt the car coming to a halt and heard the car doors opening and closing. They didn't come to get me immediately, and I suspected that some of the men had been ordered to ambush the police station. Then, the trunk was opened and Voltaire appeared. He grabbed me from my shirt and threw me violently onto the ground. The impact shattered through my frail body, making my bones feel like jelly. He forced me to a stand and began dragging me towards the police station, but suddenly, we heard guns clicking around us.

"Don't move Voltaire!"

We were surrounded by police from every angle, each one poised to shoot straight at Voltaire.

"What is the meaning of this?" Voltaire said angrily.

"We were informed beforehand by one of your colleagues that you would be ambushing us. Drop the boy Voltaire, and don't even think about threatening us," said one of them who, I noticed from his badge, was the chief officer.

"Where are Susumu and Esme Hiwatari? Tell me, or I will hurt Kai," said Voltaire, taking a gun out of his coat and shoving it against my head.

"Voltaire, you are in no position to bargain with us! If you hurt Kai, we will have you dead in mere seconds!" said the chief officer.

"My life is not so valuable to me. All that matters is that Kai dies, that is enough for me!" said Voltaire, and to my utmost shock, I heard his gun clicking.

"Why do you want him dead? Talk!" the chief officer yelled, pointing his gun at Voltaire's heart.

"Kai is my grandson, the son of my Susumu's, and for that I loathe the very blood that runs through his veins. My family turned out nothing as I expected it to be, instead it was the exact opposite! Kai will die here tonight, and by my hand!" Voltaire shouted.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice:

"Voltaire, take your hands off my friend, now."

It was Brooklyn.

"What? What are you doing here?" Voltaire shouted at him, his hand slacking on the gun.

"I am the one who told them of your plan," said Brooklyn, approaching us slowly: "I am the one who betrayed you. Kai is my friend, and the worst thing I could have ever done was to betray him for a swine like you."

"Is that so?" Voltaire ground his teeth in rage, and began to raise his gun towards Brooklyn.

Suddenly, the chief officer yelled: "Fire!"

But not before Voltaire had shot Brooklyn.


	33. Life

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

I watched in horror as the deadly bullet struck Brooklyn, piercing through his flesh and spraying blood on his pristine white coat. He fell down on his knees, clutching his stomach were blood was staining his hands, groaning in pain. I barely even noticed Voltaire hitting the ground beside me, dead and covered in bloody holes were bullets had entered his worthless body. All I could see was Brooklyn, all I could feel was his pain, all I could hear were his cries.

"Hey, are you alright?" one of the policemen asked me. I barely even noticed that they had untied me.

"Y-yeah, but, but Brooklyn," I managed to say as I was helped to stand.

"He'll be taken to hospital," I was told, as I watched everyone crowding around him, helping him to his feet.

"Kai!" I heard someone screaming my name, and I realised that it was my parents. I turned and saw them rushing towards me, my mother and father, who both looked strong and healthy once more.

My mother threw her arms around me and my father joined us. She showered my face in kisses, running her fingers through my hair, hugging me close to her chest. I was glad to be with them again, glad to have them with me, glad to see that they were alright.

"Don't worry Kai, you're safe now," my dad said, rubbing my shoulder comfortingly.

"He, he shot m-my friend," I stammered.

"I'm sure he'll be fine sweetie, you'll see!" my mother said: "A bullet in the stomach won't necessarily kill you, there's a very good chance that he'll live."

"I hope so," I said.

"The police attacked Voltaire's hideout. Your friends have probably been rescued," my dad said: "And Boris and the other creeps will probably be arrested for life, though Boris will probably be given the death sentence. Only a fitting end for a criminal bastard like him."

I breathed out a long sigh, trying to reassure myself that everyone was fine. Hell, even in his death Voltaire was managing to cause chaos!

"We have to take you to hospital, you're wounded too, you know," my mother said: "Come on, let's go honey, and besides you'll be able to receive faster news about Brooklyn."

"Yeah, you're right," I said. I stood up and followed my parents towards the ambulance that had arrived. There were two, one for me, and one for Brooklyn. I watched them loading him in, and prayed that he would survive.

Our friendship was not over.


	34. Picking up the Pieces

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

I think it was about five weeks that passed until I had been in the hospital. A lot has happened in those five weeks, so I'll start explaining. Firstly, in my third night there, Susuki came to visit me. She was also in hospital, being properly nourished and being treated against the poison that had been making her ill as it was extracted from her body. She happily told me that her beyblade had been returned to her, and proudly showed it to me. It was beautiful, a shiny aqua blue that reflected her eyes. The bit-beast, Artemis, was an amber-coloured lynx, staring curiously at me from it's central bit. After that, Susuki often visited, even after she was allowed to leave hospital. She told me that she was currently living with Aoi in an apartment he had managed to rent. My parents had lent him some money to help him and Susuki start building up their lives. I was very happy to hear that it was only four streets away from my mansion, which meant that seeing her would be easy.

My father had been sent home, where he was taking care of my dog, Snow, who was almost starved. It was thanks to his knowing where I kept his food bag that he had been able to find and eat from it, or he would have died. My mother was still in hospital, regaining her strength, and had told me that Boris had been sentenced to death, and all of his men, including Tenzou and Isobel, had been arrested.

Now, about Brooklyn. He was receiving intense medical treatment, and was in no current danger of dying. In my third week in hospital, I decided to go and see him, and maybe have a little chat with him. My doctor helped me to him, and I was allowed ten minutes.

He was hooked up to a couple of machines, one monitoring his heart rate, the other for some purpose unknown to me. I approached him, quietly, and gazed upon his face. He was rather pale, but he looked like his serene old self. As soon as he heard my footsteps, he opened his pale blue eyes and stared up at me, then smiled warmly.

"Hey Kai," he said in a throaty voice.

"Hey, how are you Brooklyn?" I asked concernedly, placing my hand on his shoulder.

"Not too bad," he said: "I think I'll live."

"You'd better, our friendship is not going to end. I forgive you, Brooklyn. I want us to be friends again...like we used to be." I realised that the emotion was getting to me, choking up my voice.

"Heh, yeah...but no words could ever express how sorry I am. I made your life a misery Kai, I don't even deserve to look at you...like I'm doing now," he said.

"Don't say that. You made a mistake, a grave one yes, but that doesn't mean that we can't be friends. Put it all behind you, Brooklyn. I have," I said.

"Man, you're one heck of a friend, y'know that? You're unique Kai, not many people will be ready to forgive so easily," he said.

"Hm," I said, sliding my hand down his arm: "When you get better, and get out of here, we'll have a beybattle, just like old times."

"Oh, that reminds me! Hey, Kai, I've been wanting to give you something," he said: "Take a look in my cupboard drawer."

I leaned down and pulled open the drawer of his bedside cupboard, and was extremely surprised at what I saw. Lying there, looking as majestic as ever, was Dranzer, or at least, the beyblade. It looked even better than usual, and seemed to burst with power. But the bit-chip was still empty. Dranzer was still gone.

"I've been working on it ever since we made friends again. I had finished it and meant to give it to you, to try and put things right, but you had already been taken by Voltaire. I hope you like it," he said.

I couldn't speak, but he knew that I loved it.


	35. The Return of Dranzer

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

I left the hospital at the end of my fifth week, but Brooklyn took a while longer due to his severe injury. After a couple of months, he was free to go, and it looked like everything would be back to normal. I was living with my parents in my mansion, and the feeling of having a family was like a miracle. It was the most beautiful thing ever, to be with my mother and father, to have my friend back, and to have a girlfriend. But just as importantly, I was free. I was no longer held prisoner, being constantly restrained, tortured, living in inhumane conditions. I was finally starting to live.

There was just one thing left: Dranzer. It seemed to me as though she would never return, as though I would never see her again. This marred my happiness a little, but I tried my best to not let it get to me. Instead, I decided to meet up with Susuki in the park and spend some time with her. I wanted to be with her, especially now that we had freedom.

I waited for her on a bench in the park that afternoon, watching some children playing football and a young couple snogging beneath a tree. This was normal life, not what I had been forced to experience.

Suddenly, a pair of soft hands wrapped around me from behind and I felt a gentle kiss touching my cheek.

"Hey there," said a sweet female voice. A moment later, Susuki fell down beside me, giving me a kiss on the lips.

"Hey Suki!" I said, reaching out to caress her silky red hair.

"Man, it's such a gorgeous day! I haven't seen the outdoors in years!" she said excitedly, watching the sun with fascination.

"Yeah, it must have been hard," I said: "I feel great too, not being tied up all the time."

"Poor Kai," she cooed, cupping my cheek with her hand: "You're too cute, y'know that?"

I giggled and embraced her, relishing the touch of her skin on mine, glad that she was healthy once more.

"Hey, I know! How about we have a beybattle?" she said suddenly.

"Yeah, okay. It'd be cool to battle against you," I agreed. We got up and went to an open area in the park, where there weren't much people strolling about. We brought out our beyblades and set them in our launchers, preparing to face off against each other.

"I'm ready when you are!" she said.

We launched our beyblades and watched as they smacked into each other, each trying to overcome the other.

"Go Artemis!" Susuki yelled, and I watched as an amber light exploded from her beyblade, materialising into a magnificent lynx above her.

"Dranzer, attack!" I shouted, knowing that I wouldn't be able to match her power now.

Suddenly, however, a ruby red light shot into my beyblade, illuminating the sapphire whirl. It rose above me and twisted itself into a familiar phoenix, who gave a long piercing screech.

"D-Dranzer!" I exclaimed, my eyes meeting with those of my beloved bit-beast's.

It was her, it really was, and now my life was truly complete.


End file.
